


A Bit Beyond the Emotionally Attatched Stage

by ofstarks



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bran's confused, Jojen is emotional and brooding, M/M, Meera's annoyed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 10:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1424746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstarks/pseuds/ofstarks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“But, nothing! You heard him tell you that he didn’t want you to die!”<br/>“Meera, that’s not the same thing as professing your love.”<br/>“I don’t care Jojen! Just tell-”<br/>“No.”<br/>“Jojen-”<br/>“No, Meera,” Jojen sighed. “I appreciate you trying to make things better, but they never can be better. Bran can’t get emotionally attached to me! If he does he will die because of me!”<br/>Meera snorted, “I think you are both are a bit beyond the <em>emotionally attached stage.</em>” </p><p>(Or: Jojen has a green dream and isolates himself from Bran)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bit Beyond the Emotionally Attatched Stage

_I think I might love him,_ Bran thought as he watched Jojen wander around their small camp. Meera had left to see if she could find any food. Leaving Jojen, Bran, and Hodor back at camp. The blonde haired boy intrigued him. The things he would say. His dreams. He understood Bran. He knew what he could do and what he was capable of and he didn’t treat him as if he was a child who needed a mother swaddling him at all times. He treated Bran like he was an actual person.  
.  
“Jojen, how do you do it?”

  
“Do what, my Prince?”

  
“How can you stand it? Seeing what will pass, what has passed, what is passing. How do you stand from going mad?”

  
“I don’t know, my Prince, I do not know.” Jojen said softly. “Sometimes the dreams are too much and I have an episode like you saw earlier. Sometimes, I feel their pain, their joy, their sorrow. Sometimes I am angry because of the future, sometimes I am happy. But all of those emotions will never compare to having to hold the guilt of knowing what will come and what will pass.”

  
“How do you know what will pass? How do you know that all of your green dreams will happen?” Bran asked, not all of Jojen’s green dreams could be true, not _all_ of them.

  
“Not all of them will happen, but there are a few moments that are fixed, that cannot be changed. One moment happening over and over again. The same person dying, but his reaction was different every time. One time he tried to fight it. He died. One time he just let it pass. He died. One tried-” Jojen stopped and inhaled.

  
“What is it Jojen?” Bran asked alarmed.

  
Bran grabbed his arm.

  
Jojen slipped his arm out of Bran’s grasp. And stood up and walked away into the forest. Leaving Bran with a sleeping Hodor, Summer, and the silence of the forest.

  
Jojen returned a few minutes later with Meera, they were talking in hushed whispers. They silenced when they saw Bran.

  
“I found a few rabbits and squirrels Bran, I think they’ll do for tonight.” Meera said, with an air of faux happiness.

  
“Good, it’s going to be getting dark soon.” Bran said, aware of the looks that Meera and Jojen were giving each other.

  
“I’ll start skinning them, Jojen, make a fire.”

  
“Alright.” Jojen said, going to start a fire.

  
Their dinner of rabbits was a quiet affair seeing as Meera and Jojen were talking in whispers on the other side of the burned out fire. Hodor solemnly ate his rabbit.  
Bran didn’t like the silence, the silence wasn’t a comfortable silence. It was an awkward one that made him feel uncomfortable.  
.

  
The next few days had went on in silence, with Meera saying an occasional word to Bran, trying in vain to diffuse the tension. Jojen hadn’t spoken a word to Bran since their conversation. Hodor gave an occasional “Hodor.”

  
Bran had tried in vain to speak to Jojen about why he was distancing himself, but he stopped these attempts as he saw that these attempts just made Jojen distance himself between him.

  
He asked Meera about it when Jojen was sleeping.

  
“ _Meera_ ,” he whispered, hoping that she was still up.

  
“Yes, Bran?” she asked, rolling over.

  
“Why is Jojen ignoring me?”

  
Meera was silent for a moment. She looked sad when she looked up, “Oh Bran, there are things that Jojen says that he can’t share always.”

  
“But that doesn’t matter, does it? He doesn’t have to tell me that. I bet that there are many dreams that he hasn’t shared with me, but what about this one? Just this one? He stopped talking to me. He hasn’t spoken to me at all and it is driving me insane.”

  
“He does it because-well. It’s not my liberty to say. You’re going to have to ask him yourself.”

  
Bran let out an angry huff, “ _Meera_ , this is the exact reason I wanted to talk to you. He won’t listen to me. I’ve tried to talk to him, but he just buffers me away.”

  
“I’ll talk to him.” Meera promised.

  
“Alright, goodnight Meera.”

  
“Goodnight, Bran.”

.

The next day came and went and Meera had yet to keep true on her promise to make Jojen speak to him.

  
The day after that, Meera announced that she was going to look for food, effectively leaving Jojen and Bran alone with Hodor to watch them.  
Jojen got up to leave.

  
“Don’t.”

  
Jojen stopped.

  
“Yes, my Prince?”

  
“Don’t leave, and don’t call me my Prince, my name is Bran.”

  
Jojen only nodded, annoying Bran to no end.

  
“I want to know why you won’t talk to me. Why do you ignore me? I know that you cannot tell me all of your dreams, but why ignore me after this one? What happens? Please, Jojen, tell me.”

  
Jojen stayed silent for a few seconds before answering, “My dreams are not always the present or the future, you know that. But the last dream, was for the future. A terrible future, that could lead to only one thing. Only with different scenario, every time, the one thing would happen but with different repercussions or ways getting there.” His voice broke.

  
This only annoyed Bran.

  
“Jojen, you didn’t answer my question! Why are you ignoring me! What. Did. You. Dream.”

  
“My death.”

  
Bran froze. He knew that Jojen had seen horrible things n his dreams, but never his own death, surely.

  
“What does that concern me? Why did you shut me out?”

  
Jojen’s patience was waning, “Because, in one of the versions you tried to stop my death because I told you and you died in my arms right before I died myself.” Jojen spat.

  
Bran stared at Jojen in shock as Jojen angrily got up and walked off into the woods.

  
“Hodor? Hodor?” Hodor got up. He looked around and then looked at Bran, questioningly.

  
“It’s alright Hodor. Jojen’s just gone off for a moment.” Bran said, his voice breaking.

  
But it didn’t make sense. Why would Jojen be so afraid that he would die? Why would Jojen care? Jojen and Meera were honor bound to protect him, he knew that. He knew that Lord Howland was known as a very loyal man, especially to his father, and it was a trait that was apparently passed on to Jojen and Meera. But, why would jojen care so much as to close himself off from Bran. The future was the future, the future can be changed. Jojen didn’t have to die.

 

Around an hour later, Meera came back with Jojen in tow. Meera had an annoyed expression on her face. While Jojen looked as sullen as ever. She grabbed her brother’s arm and forcibly sat him down next to Bran. And she crouched down to Jojen’s level.

  
“Jojen, look at me.” She demanded.

  
Jojen sourly met her gaze.

  
“What?”

  
“Bran deserves to know,” she said. “The future is the future, but this is the present.”

  
Jojen opened his mouth angrily, but was interrupted by Meera.

  
“No, _you_ listen, Jojen. Bran deserves to know. Now you will tell him or I will tell him myself, is that understood?”

  
Jojen nodded, still glaring at his older sister.

  
Meera stood up and walked over as far away as she could from them, without being out of sight.

  
Jojen sighed, “What do you want to know?”

  
“I want to know why you’ve been distancing yourself from me?”

  
“I have been distancing myself on the fact that, if you aren’t as fond as me and don’t talk to me as much, you won’t try to save me.

  
“Why don’t you want me to help you?”

  
“This is my burden-”

  
“Jojen.”

  
“Fine, because I don’t want you to die. Happy?”

  
Silence.

  
“Why don’t you want me to die?” Bran’s voice cracked.

  
“I-I well I just don’t want you to die, alright?”

  
And Jojen got up, and walked away from another conversation.

.

“I’m sorry about Jojen.”

  
“It’s really fine, Meera, honestly.”

  
“Do you want to know why he doesn’t want you to die?” Meera pushed.

  
“No,” Bran answered, softly, “I want him to tell me. When he’s ready, if he’s ever ready, for that matter.”

  
“Well in that case, dear Bran. That’s never going to happen, look why don’t I-”

  
“ _Meera_ ,” Bran sighed, rubbing his eyes, tiredly, “If you get Jojen to talk to me again, he’ll just end up leaving again-”

  
“ _But_ -”

  
“Meera, if you try and get him to talk to me. He’ll just dance around the real questions I ask. There is nothing that you or I can do. It’s only Jojen that can do something.”

  
“Alright Bran.” Meera sighed in defeat.

  
She got up and sat closer to the fire.

  
“I’ll take first watch,” Meera announced.

  
“Fine.” Jojen said.

  
“Night,” Bran murmured.

.

They packed up camp the next day and headed on. They mostly walked in silence, with an occasional comment from Meera. Hodor pushed his cart as they continued beyond the Wall.

.

Here beyond the Wall, there were weirwoods everywhere. There were barely any weirwoods in the South. They worshipped the Seven, like his mother did. All of the Stark children worshipped at the Godswood. But, he had seen his mother praying to the Mother or the Crone, sometimes he would see her even pray to the Stranger.

  
They would sometimes stop near a weirwood and he would get Hodor to put him near the weirwood. He would pray for his mother, and Robb, who were out fighting the endless war. For Sansa, who was a caged bird. For Arya who was somewhere out there. For Rickon, his baby brother, who was going South with Osha. For Meera. And for Jojen.

.

Jojen rarely talked now, even to Meera. He was even more sullen that ever, sitting on his own. He looked paler than usual, and sick. When Meera would worry, Jojen would dismissively say, _“This is not the day I die.”_

  
Bran hated the phrase and so did Meera. Bran knew that Jojen had seen his own death and demise. He had seen terrible things. But every time that Jojen would say that, it would remind Bran of Jojen. And that would make him sad, because Jojen was sadder than ever and he didn’t want Jojen to be in pain, or be hurt.

  
“Stop saying that!” Bran hissed angrily.

  
Jojen didn’t respond or react even. He just stared on.

  
“Jojen! Look at me!” Bran shouted, not caring who would hear, Wildlings be damned. 

  
Jojen reluctantly turned toward him, but didn’t say something.

  
“Listen to me! Stop saying that!”

  
“Saying what?”

  
“Don’t play dumb with me Jojen! You know, you always say that _‘This is not the day I die.’_ And I find it utterly infuriating.”

  
“Why Bran? It’s not like I matter,” Jojen said bitterly.

  
Bran opened his mouth, but no words came out. Of course Jojen mattered. He always mattered.

  
“What-what did you say?”

  
“I said I don’t matter.” Jojen answered shortly.

  
“You matter-”

  
“Please.”

  
“No! I mean it Jojen, I honestly mean it. You do matter if you weren’t here I would have no idea about warging or my powers or anything! I would be alone in the dark.”

  
Jojen let out a small huff and turned away. But not before he saw Jojen’s face reddening.

  
“You would’ve been fine.”

  
“Gods, shut up Jojen! Just-”

  
Bran stopped, he had to choose his next words carefully.

  
“Jojen, I don’t want you to die. I don’t want you to die as much as you don’t want you to die.”

  
Jojen scoffed at that.

  
“You are making this impossible!” Bran threw up his hands in exasperation.

  
Bran crossed his arms and looked down. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. Jojen was making this near impossible for him as if it wasn’t hard enough for him to do already.

  
“Go, Jojen. Just go. I want to be alone for a bit.”

  
He didn’t look up until he heard Jojen’s footsteps fade away.

  
“Summer, what am I going to do?” He asked his direwolf.

  
Summer looked up at Bran and tilted his head.

  
“You’re no help at all,” Bran muttered.

.

Jojen was silent for the journey, barely any change there. But, he sat closer to Bran, he noticed that. Bran saw that Meera would smile when she saw Jojen sitting closer to Bran. Jojen would see this too, and he scowled at her. Meera would roll her eyes.

.

They didn’t know he was awake. He wasn’t about to announce to Meera and Jojen that he was awake, effectively ending their conversation about him.

  
“ _Meera_ -”

  
“Don’t you _Meera_ me Jojen!” Meera hissed.

  
“But-”

  
“But, nothing! You heard him tell you that he didn’t want you to die!”

  
“Meera, that’s not the same thing as professing your love.”

  
“I don’t care Jojen! Just tell-”

“No.”

  
“Jojen-”

  
“No, Meera,” Jojen sighed. “I appreciate you trying to make things better, but they never can be better. Bran can’t get emotionally attached to me! If he does he will die because of me!”

  
Meera snorted, “I think you are both are a bit beyond the _emotionally attached_ stage.”

  
“Meera, please!”

  
“Gods, Jojen. You are so ignorant!”

  
“Shh, Meera!”

  
“Don’t you shush me!”

  
“Someone might be listening!”

  
“Bran’s asleep. He hasn’t been eating much, so I told him to sleep. Anyway, it’s the dead of night, why would he be up anyway?”

  
“Meera, can we just-can we just talk about this in the morning?” Jojen asked, rubbing his eyes.

  
“Fine Jojen, but don’t you think that this makes me any less cross at you.” Meera said, walking to her sleeping spot. Bran shut his eyes so they wouldn’t check if he was sleeping. He hadn’t heard Jojen move from his spot.

.

Bran jumped when he heard Jojen sit on the other side of him, Bran’s back was to him.

  
“Goodnight Bran,” he heard Jojen murmur softly.

  
It took all of Bran’s willpower not to answer back.

.

Meera was the one who woke him up.

  
She shook him awake, “Get up, Bran. We have to get moving if we are going to find this three-eyed crow.”

  
Bran saw that most of their camp was already packed up. Hodor was absentmindedly walking around in circles. Jojen was finishing packing up some of the camp.

  
Jojen wouldn’t look at Bran, which was a bit understandable because of what happened the night before.

  
Jojen finally spoke, “I know that you were listening to Meera and I’s conversation last night.”

  
Bran stuttered and felt his face heat up. He didn’t think that Jojen saw him, “Oh-um. I’m-well-”

  
Jojen smiled sadly, “I guess in a way, you were meant to hear that.”

  
“So the reason you pushed me away, is because you were afraid that I would become too _emotionally attached_. And therefore try to save you.”

  
“Yes.” Jojen murmured.

  
“Jojen, come over here.” Bran commanded.

  
For a second Jojen looked the tiniest bit scared.

  
Jojen sat down next to Bran, with an unsure expression on his face.

  
Bran threw his arms around Jojen.

  
“I think we’re a bit past the _emotionally attached_ stage, don’t you think.”

  
Jojen smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Visit me at ofstarksandwolves on tumblr!


End file.
